nick8t4 Posted 17 August , 2011 Share Posted 17 August , 2011 Does anyone know how difficult it would be to fit a magazine cut off on my SMLE MkIII? My rifle has the required recess for the cut-off and I think it would be an interesting addition to the rifle, even if it is not an originally fitted part. Cheers, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbox Posted 17 August , 2011 Share Posted 17 August , 2011 Its not difficult if you have several cut-off plates to choose from, but if you only have one plate and it turns out to be a tight fit - not only will it be hard to fit, but it will be next to impossible to use when you're shooting. All you have to do is to take the action out of the forend. Slide the plate in so that the hook at the rear is inside the slot, then line up the pivot point. If the plate is tight (they often have a curve near the pivot) then you have to insert the pivot end first, push the pivot end forward to allow the hook at the rear to clear the slot, and then bend the plate down to get it in the slot. If it is a tight plate because of the spring curve in it, then you may need a small hammer to tap the plate into position. Best to line up the pivot hole with a thin punch before attempting to insert the screw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8t4 Posted 17 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 17 August , 2011 Should I be looking for a particular type of plate or is there a standard cut off for Mk.III's? Shooting won't be a problem as it is deactivated but I would like the action to be as smooth as possible. Cheers, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 17 August , 2011 Share Posted 17 August , 2011 Should I be looking for a particular type of plate or is there a standard cut off for Mk.III's? Shooting won't be a problem as it is deactivated but I would like the action to be as smooth as possible. Cheers, Nick There are several versions of the cutoff plate and the variations are relatively small and to do with the shape of the rear edge and the block that stops the plate. Having said this, most of the plates that you find for sale will be for MkIII. I think what Thunderbox means is that the fit between examples of the same type of plate will vary considerably (this has certainly been my experience) the tolerances with the slot/screw are very fine and even tiny variations/bends in the cut off will mean you have to do a lot of fiddling to get it to 1) fit at all and 2) work correctly. Hence the desirability of having several plates to try (a luxury most of us don't have of course) Thunderbox's description is spot on and I would second the use of a pin punch to line up the pivot hole. My experience has been while simple, this can be a fiddly job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8t4 Posted 18 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 18 August , 2011 Thank you for replies so far. My legendary clumsiness might preclude me from fitting it myself if it is a fiddly job so I might have to defer to a greater authority (my father) to help. Another question now, as my rifle isn't for display or re-enacting I thought I would add a regimental ID disc. Do you think it would be sacrilegious to add a regimental ID disc to the butt of the rifle? I use it for teaching purposes so it might be an interesting talking point. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbox Posted 18 August , 2011 Share Posted 18 August , 2011 Thank you for replies so far. My legendary clumsiness might preclude me from fitting it myself if it is a fiddly job so I might have to defer to a greater authority (my father) to help. Another question now, as my rifle isn't for display or re-enacting I thought I would add a regimental ID disc. Do you think it would be sacrilegious to add a regimental ID disc to the butt of the rifle? I use it for teaching purposes so it might be an interesting talking point. Nick The collector-shooters here probably feel it was more sacrilegious to de-act the rifle in the first place..... Given that ebay is full of loose regimental disks, it wouldn't be any great loss to give your rifle a non-original ID. I assume any collector looking to pay a premium for a rifle with provenance to a specific unit would be able to distinguish a made-up rifle in any case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8t4 Posted 18 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 18 August , 2011 It'll never be sold so provenance won't be a problem. I admit I would dearly love it not to be deactivated but as it is an artefact for teaching purposes I can't see my superiors allowing anything less than a fully inert rifle! Thanks for all your wise words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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